Electroplating rack



Jan. 30, 1968 H. D. ELBAUM ELECTROPLATING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 28, 1965 INVENTOR. HARRY D. ELBAUM ATTORNEY Jan. 30, 1968 H. D. ELBAUM ELECTROPLATING'RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1965 FIG. 4

'FIG. 2

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INVENTOR.

HARRY D. ELBAUM BY W.

FIG. 5

. ATTZY United StatesPatent ()fifice 3,366,557 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 3,366,567 ELECTROPLATING RACK Harry D. Elbaum, 83-57 118th St., Kew Gardens, N.Y. 11415 Filed June 28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,574 Claims. (Cl. 204-297) This invention relates to electroplating racks intended for the support of articles to be plated in an electroplating bath.

Such racks usually comprise a bar or rod adapted to depend from a bus bar. The racks are also coated with a suitable insulator and provided with detachable contact members on which the articles to be plated can be mounted.

However, in practice, these racks often present a variety of problems which interfere with their efficient operation. Thus, the means for attaching the aforesaid contact members to the bar or rod usually contemplates the use of a threaded member insertable through a suitable aperture formed in such bar or rod, the threaded member being secured thereto by a nut or other similar means. With such arrangement, it has been found that a significant amount of play is permitted so that the acid solutions, such as are employed in plating baths, may penetrate beneath the insulation of the rack and result in its deterioration.

Such condition has been especially common where the threaded member is composed of a hard metal and the bar or rod is composed of a soft metal, such as copper, which may be deformed by pressures transmitted by the threaded member.

Again, the use of dissimilar metals in the bars or rods of conventional racks and the aforesaid detachable members provides sites for galvanic corrosion which becomes especially marked where the aforementioned play permits penetration and contact by the acid plating solutions.

The present invention is intended to solve these difficulties.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electroplating rack which minimizes play among its operative members.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved electroplating rack which is highly resistant to galvanic corrosion and consequent deterioration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved electroplating rack upon which a variety of detachable members may be supported in a multiplicity of prepared positions.

Another obiect of the invention is to provide an elec- 'rroplating rack having detachable members which may be removed and replaced without accomplishing undesirable wear between their fastening members and the bar or rod of the electroplating rack.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved electroplating rack of the character last described where variation in the positioning of the detachable members will not entail any adverse effect upon the conductivity of the bar or rod upon which such detachable member is mounted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a three dimensional view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the upper portion of the aforesaid embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the structure depicted in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view taken about the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 wherein the members thus depicted are shown without insulation;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken about the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken about the line 6--6 of FIGURE 2.

Throughout the various views, similar numerals are employed to refer to similar parts of the aforesaid embodiment of the invention.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, one embodiment of the present invention is coated with a suitable insulation such as a vinyl plastic 10, which covers a metallic spine 11 (see FIG. 2.)

The metallic spine 11 is preferably composed of a material such as copper and provided with suitable means for engaging a bus bar (not shown), said engaging means. for example, including a pair of hooks 12 formed integrally with the spine 11 and projecting from the vinyl plastic 10. The spine 11 is also provided with a suitable handle 13, which is preferably composed of steel, affixed to the spine 11 as by riveting (not shown) or other suitable fastening means. The handle 13 is manually engageable so as to permit portability of the spine 11 and the members depending thereon, as desired.

As hereinafter described in detail, the spine 11 supports one or more yokes, generally designated by the numerals 14, 15. As depicted in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the yoke 14 includes a horizontal core 16 which is preferably composed of a material such as brass and which is of square cross-section. The core 16 is disposed intermediately of a pair of cylindrical stiffening rods 17, 18, which are preferably composed of a material such as stainless steel. As in the case of the spine 11, the core 16 and stiffening rods 17, 18 are coated with an insulation such as a vinyl plastic. The core 16is provided with at least one work-holding member such as the springable contact member 19 which is preferably composed of Phosphor bronze or a resilient steel or other suitable springable material adapted to engage and support articles intended for electroplating. The yoke 14 is removably affixed to the spine 11 in the manner hereinafter described.

Thus, an important feature of the electroplating rack resides in the means for supporting the yoke 14. This supporting means can be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, where it will be observed that the spin 11 is surmounted by a plurality of terminals which include tubes 20. These tubes 20 are preferably composed of stainless steel; and as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, are surmountable by collars 21 which are also preferably composed of stainless steel. These collars 21 depend from olfset portions 22 of the stiffening rods 17, 18 and from the core 16 of the yoke 14. For the purpose of illustrating the structure of the yoke 14, FIGURE 2 of the drawing depicts theyoke 14 without any insulation thereon but it is to be understood that said yoke 14 is coated with a suitable insulation such as a vinyl plastic. FIGURE 1 of the drawing, which also depicts a portion of the yoke 14 in uncoated condition-- for the purposes of illustration-shows on the right hand side of said FIGURE 1, the yoke 14 and structures supported thereby, coated with such insulation this being their normal operative condition. It is to be understood that in operation, the entire yoke and structures supported threby, coated with such insulation, this being and to the extent depicted in the right hand portion of said FIGURE 1.

The tubes 20 and collars 21 are provided with terminals such as the stainless steel studs 23 which are engageable with locknuts 24.

An enlarged view of these structures is depicted in FIGURE 6 of the drawing. As may be seen in this figure, one of the studs 23 is threadedly engaged with a tube it) which, in turn, is secured to the spine 11 by means of a bolt 25 which extends through an aperture 26 provided in the spine 11 and is threadedly engaged with the said tube 21 To seal the connections between the bolt 25, tube 20 and the spine 11, continuous soldering, a at 27, 28 may be provided between the surfaces of the spine 11 and the adjacent perimetric portions of said bolt 25 and tube 20.

The spine 11 and tube 20 are coated with the abovenoted continuous insulation but such coating terminates at the upper end of the tube 26 which has a planar surface, as may be seen in FIGURE 6. Thus, the insulation adjacent to the upper end of said tube 211 forms an annular pillow or flange 30.

By this structure, each of the tubes 20 and adjacent plastic areas are adapted to seating the yoke 1 As can be seen in FIGURE 6 of the drawing, the collar 21 which forms part of the yoke 14, is coated with a suitable insulation, as previously noted, the lower end 31 of said insulation having a curved contour or conical conformation yieldably conforming with the internal periphery of said pillow or flange 30. The stud 23 extends through the collar 21 and is threadedly engageable with a cap 32 which is also preferably composed of a material such as stainless steel. The tud 23 is threadedly adjustable by means of the slot 33 provided at the upper end of the stud 23, said slot being engageable in the conventional manner, as by a screwdriver, for example, so as to permit rotation of the stud 23 to any desired position where it may be secured by tightening the locknut 24 against the upper end of the collar 21.

It will be noted that the offset portions 22 of the stiifening rods 17, 18 are coated with the aforesaid insulation, as at 35, for example, but that the opposing ends 36, 37 of the collar 21 are uncoated by any insulation. The locknut 24 is communicable with the collar 21 so as to urge the lower end 36 of the collar 21 and the lower end 31 of the insulation into the seat formed by the upper end 138 of the tube 20 and the internal periphery of the annular flange 30, thereby bringing the collar 21 into contact with the tube 20, said contact being sea-led by the surrounding contact between the lower end 31 of the insulation and its mating seat. Each tube 20, bolt 25, stud 23, collar 21, cap 32 and locknut 24 is preferably composed of stainless steel. This metal is corrosion resistant, thereby minimizing galvanic corrosion between such members.

The structure illustrated in FIGURE 6 is typical of that associated with each of the three collars 21, 21a depicted in FIGURE 1, except that in the case of the collar 21a, it is connected to the core 16 rather than to the offset portions 22 of the stilfening rods 17, 18.

The yoke 14 may be secured to any of the tubes 20 provided on the spine 11 and, if desired, additional yokes, such as the yoke designated by the numeral 15, may be disposed on said spine 11.

It will be noted that since the yokes are engageable with three tubes 20, as in FIGURE 1, there is an avoidance of play between the yokes and the tubes 20, thereby minimizing electrolytic penetration.

As previously noted, the yokes 14, may be removed from the positions depicted in FIGURE 1 and engaged with other tubes disposed on the spine 11, as desired, or additional yokes (not shown) may be secured upon such tubes 20. In this way, the present invention makes it unnecessary to drill terminal-receiving apertures within the spine 11, as conventionally accomplished, in order to provide further means for mounting the yokes or other members having electroplating contact elements such as are hereinafter described. Thus, by the foregoing arrangement, the reduction in conductivity of the spine 11, which would result from such drilling, is eliminated.

As may be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, each yoke 14-, 15 is provided with one or more work-holding members such as the U-shaped, springable electroplating contact elements 19, which depend from the core 16 of each of the yokes 14, 15 and which, in operation, are coated with the above-mentioned insulation, as shown at 19a, thereby exposing only ends 191), of said contact elements 19. The exposed ends 1912 are adapted to engagement in the conventional manner with articles intended to be plated. At the same time, the coating of insulation, which is preferably bonded to the internal metallic structures of the yokes, spline and associated internal metallic structures, minimizes penetration thereto by any electrolyte employed in the electroplating procedure and thereby minimizes the potentially corrosive effects which occur if such electrolyte makes contact with the structures covered by the insulation.

As may be noted in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the contact elements may be disposed in a variety of positions on the core 16, as in the vertical position assumed by the contact elements 19 on the yoke 14 on the horizontal position assumed by the contact element 19 on the yoke 15, for example, thereby accommodating the work intended for electroplating.

It will be observed that when yoke 14 is disposed in operative position, as is shown in FIGURE 6, for example, the cap 32 is threadedly engaged with the stud 23, said cap 32 being provided with a handle such as the transverse rod 45, which is preferably composed of a material such as stainless steel and which may be manually engaged so as to rotate the cap 32 upon the stud 23, thereby urging the cap 32 into abutment with the locknut 24.

The insulation covering the cap 32 forms a cavity 50 defined by an annular element 51 of said insulation and the lower face 52 of said cap 32. The annular flange 51 is urged into abutment with the upper end 53 of the insulation surrounding the collar 21, thereby sealing the locknut 24 and collar 21 against electrolytic penetration.

Such caps 32 and locknuts 24 are provided on the collars 21, 21a when they are engaged with the tubes 20 but the caps and locknuts 24 may be removed, as depicted in FIGURE 1, for example, to permit disassembly of the yoke 14 from the spine 11, as desired. Such yoke may be reassembled on the spine 11, as in the position of yoke 15, or if the metal being plated has accumulated upon the exposed ends 1% of the contact elements 19 so as to render further use of the yoke 14 uneconomical, said yoke 14 may be discarded or restored and reused.

As to the tubes 21? Which are not engaged with a yoke in the manner hereinabove described, they are provided with caps 60 which are of a somewhat different design than that of the cap 32. FIGURE 5 depicts such a cap 60 in assembly with a tube 20 depending from the spine 11, said tube 20 being threadedly engaged with a bolt 25 in the manner previously described. As before, the spine 11 and tube 20 are coated with the above-described insulation which forms an annular pillow or flange 30 about the upper end 38 of the tube 20.

So, also, a stud 23 is threadedly engaged with the tube 20 and is threadedly engageable with the cap 60 which is rotatable by its handle 45 so as to urge the cap 60 towards the upper end 38 of the tube 20.

In this instance, however, the lower face 62 of the cap 60 is coated with the aforesaid insulation, as are the other external surfaces of said cap 60 and handle 45. Thus, the insulation on the lower face 62 of the cap 6% may be brought into abutment with the internal periphery of the annular flange 30 and with the upper end 38 of the tube 20, thereby sealing said tube 211 and stud 23, as well as the other internal metallic structures depicted in FIGURE 5, against electrolytic penetration.

Of course, the cap 60 may be removed, as desired, so as to permit assembly of a yoke with suitably exposed studs 23 and tubes 21), such as are depicted in FIGURE 3 of the drawing.

It is to be understood that while the above-described form of the invention has included yokes such as those designated by the numerals 14, 15, yokes of other forms may also be employed and, if desired, suitable contact elements may be disposed upon the tubes and studs 23 without the use of any yoke.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove has been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An electroplating rack comprising, in combination:

(a) a metallic spine;

(b) at least one metallic terminal depending from said spine;

(c) said spine and terminal being embedded in an insulating material;

(d) a stud projecting from a hollow cylindrical tube;

(e) said end of the terminal including a planar surface provided upon the hollow cylindrical tube;

(if) said stud being provided with a nut;

(g) said nut being adjustable to urge said supporting means into contact with said planar surf-ace.

2. A device according to claim 1,

(a) said metallic spine being composed of copper;

(b) said metallic terminal being composed of stainless steel.

3. An electroplating rack comprising, in combination:

(-a) a copper spine;

(b) a plurality of tubes depending from the copper spine;

(c) the tubes being composed of stainless steel;

((1) at least one of the tubes being threadedly engaged with a stud;

(e) the stud projecting through a stainless steel collar depending from a copper yoke provided with a plurality of contact members;

(if) said stud being provided with a nut adjustable to urge said stainless steel collar into contact with a planar surface provided upon one end of said tube;

(g) said copper spine and tubes being embedded in a continuous plastic insulating material.

4. A device according to claim 3,

(a) each of said tubes being threadedly engaged with a bolt projecting through an aperture formed in said copper spine;

(b) the circumferential periphery of said bolt and said each of said tubes being in continuous contact with said copper spine.

5. An electroplating rack comprising, in combination:

(a) a copper spine;

(b) a plurality of stainless steel tubes depending from the copper spine;

(c) each of the tubes being threadedly engaged with a stud projecting from said tubes;

(d) said copper spine and tubes being embedded in a continuous vinyl plastic;

(e) said vinyl plastic forming an annular flange about each of said tubes;

(f) a yoke;

(g) said yoke including a plurality of stainless steel collars disposable on said tubes;

(h) each stud being projectable through said collars and engageable With a stainless steel locknut;

(i) said locknut benig abuttable against each of said collars to secure said yoke to the tubes;

(j) at least one of said collars depending from a brass core provided with means for supporting Work intended for electroplating;

(k) at least another of said collars depending from a stainless steel rod engaged With said brass core;

(1) said collars, core, rod and supporting means being embedded in a continuous coating of vinyl plastic; (m) at least one end of said collars and at least one end of said tubes being exposed to permit contact with each other;

(n) a portion of said supporting means being exposed to permit contact with the work intended for electroplating;

(o) one end of the vinyl plastic coating surrounding each of said collars being abuttable against said annular flange when said yoke is secured to said tubes;

(p) a stainless steel cap threadedly engageable with each of said studs;

(q) said cap being embedded in a continuous vinyl plastic coating including an annular flange;

(r) said last-mentioned annular flange being abuttable against the other end of the vinyl plastic coating surrounding each of said collars;

(s) said last-mentioned annular flange also defining a cavity wherein said locknut is receivable to permit its abutment against an exposed end face of said cap;

(t) at least one additional tube depending from said spine;

(u) said additional tube being provided with means for sealing it against electrolytic penetration when said tube is not engaged with any of said collars.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,372,567 3/ 1945 Graham et al 204-297 2,958,642 11/1960 Belke 204-297 3,294,668 12/1966 Belke 204-297 HOWARD S. WILLIAMS, Primary Examiner.

JOHN R. MACK, Examiner.

D, 3. JORDAN; Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTROPLATING RACK COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A METALLIC SPINE; (B) AT LEAST ONE METALLIC TERMINAL DEPENDING FROM SAID SPINE; (C) SAID SPINE AND TERMINAL BEING EMBEDDED IN AN INSULATING MATERIAL; (D) A STUD PROJECTING FROM A HOLLOW CYCLINDRICAL TUBE; (E) SAID END OF THE TERMINAL INCLUDING A PLANAR SURFACE PROVIDED UPON THE HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL TUBE; (F) SAID STUD BEING PROVIDED WITH A NUT; (G) SAID NUT BEING ADJUSTABLE TO URGE SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INTO CONTACT WITH SAID PLANAR SURFACE. 